Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तथापि न तवादेशो व्यर्थः कार्यः कथंचन । एतस्मात्कारणाद्देव याचयिष्यामि वांछितम्

Transliteration

tathāpi na tavādeśo vyarthaḥ kāryaḥ kathaṃcana | etasmātkāraṇāddeva yācayiṣyāmi vāṃchitam

Translation

Dẫu vậy, mệnh lệnh của Ngài không thể nào trở nên vô ích. Vì lẽ ấy, ôi Thần linh, con sẽ xin ân phúc mà con hằng mong.

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Avyaya (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययसमुच्चय (concessive: nevertheless)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आदेशः: command, instruction
• आदेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• व्यर्थः: vain, futile
• व्यर्थः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (आदेशः)

• कार्यः: to be carried out
• कार्यः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (आदेशः) = ‘to be done’

• कथंचन: in any way (at all)
• कथंचन: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् + चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात-समासार्थ (in any way/at all)

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• देव: O god/lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• याचयिष्यामि: I will request
• याचयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाञ्छितम्: the desired (boon/thing)
• वाञ्छितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक; वाञ्छ् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘याचयिष्यामि’ इत्यस्य कर्म

Speaker

Harīścandra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Harīścandra, still in folded-hands posture, slightly raises his head with firm resolve, indicating he will request a boon so the deity’s command bears fruit; attendants watch quietly.

Characters & Entities

• Harīścandra
• Śiva (Deva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One should honor divine instruction and not treat sacred encounters as casual; devotion includes responsiveness to the deity’s guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is a Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya scene; this verse itself does not identify the site by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the act is yācñā/prārthanā—requesting a boon in a dharmic manner.